Convertible furniture piece



3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 24, 1958 INVEN TOR.

51/1052 Filip Min nrramvtr May 17, 1960 Filed Dec. 24, 1958 s. FRIEDMAN CONVERTIBLE FURNITURE PIECE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 W 17, 1960 s. FRIEDMAN 2,936,896

CONVERTIBLE FURNITURE PIECE Filed Doc. 24, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Samuel Friedman, Brooklyn,

provision of anovel furniture 2,936,896 CONVERTIBLE PIECE N.Y., assignor to Re-Ly-On Metal Products, Inc., Brooklyn, N.Y., a corporation of New York Application December 24, 1958, Serial No. 782,937. g

Claims. c ..211-2 Tins invention relates to a convertible furniture piece. The prime object of the invention centers about the piece which is convertible by folding and unfolding operations into the following furniture uses and assemblies:

(1) in its fully unfolded or set-up condition the furniture piece is functionable as a hostess or serving table. In such condition foldable top table panels are arranged in a horizontal and alined planular position for servingtable use, and a lower hingedly movable shelf panel is arranged in a horizontal position for cooperative tableserving use;

(2) In a half unfolded (or half folded) condition, it is functionable as a bookrack. In such condition, the top table panels are arranged at an angle to each other, and preferably at right angles, so as to serve as a book holding rack, and the lower shelf panel is arranged in a horizontal position for cooperative use as a book or magazine shelf; and

(3) In its folded up condition, the furniture piece is collapsed-to a compacted and substantially flat condition 2,936,896 Patented May 17, .1960

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Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the end of the convertible furniture piece, the same being shown in its open or set up condition for use as a serving table;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same shown in an intermediate positionand set up foii use as a bookrack; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the opposite end of the furniture piece showing the same in a collapsed condition for package or storage purposes;

ing the same in the fully open or set up condition (in with all the panels and legs in vertical position ready and convenient for packaging and carrying and for closet storage.

A further prime object of the invention resides in providing an improved foldable furniture piece of the type comprising a pair of hinged and infoldable table panels and crossed pivoted supporting legs connected thereto and foldable therewith, so designed, and soconstructed as to be convertible into the three uses and assemblies referred to above.

A correlative object of the invention relates to the provision of a foldable furniture piece of the type referred to in which a simplified and improved means is provided for securely supporting as well as locking the table panels in a horizontal planular position when the furniture piece is unfolded to its set-up condition, such means being moreover so designed and constructed as to permit the same to move automatically to the supporting'and locking position as the furniture piece is manually unfolded.

In carrying out these objects of the invention, the convertible furniture piece is so designed, in addition to yielding a relatively simply yet sturdy and durable structure, as to produce a convertible multi-function furniture piece (a) in which the parts are capable of being changed or converted from any one use to another with exceeding simplicity and ease and (b) in which the parts when unto'be defined in the appended claims taken together with a t e fo w s c fi o an he c ompan drawings,'in which:

In the remaining figures the furniture piece parts thereof are shown to enlarged scales;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the upper part of furniture piece taken in cross-section and viewed in the plane of the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a view of parts of the furniture piece taken in cross-section in the plane of the line 5-5 of Fig. 4 showing the parts in unfolded or set up condition;

Fig. '6 is a view of the parts shown in Fig. 5 and depicting the parts in their intermediate set-up condition (in full lines) and a collapsed condition (in dotted lines);

Fig. 7 is an end elevational View of the lower section of the furniture piece (compare with Fig. 3) and depictfull lines) and in a position during a collapsing operation in dotted lines);

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 showing the parts thereof in a fully collapsed condition; I

Fig. 9 is a bottom plan view of the lower section of thefurniture piece taken in section in the plane of the line 9-9 of Fig. 1, showing the position thereof when the furniture piece is in its fully set-up condition;

Fig. 10 is a view of parts shown in Fig. 9 and taken in cross-section in the plane of the line 1010 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11. is a view similar to Fig. 9 but taken of a porg'tion thereof and showing the'position the parts assume when the furniture piece is moved to its intermediate position; i

' Fig. 12, is a view of Fig. it taken in cross-section in the plane of the line l2-.12 of Fig. 11; t

Fig. 13 is a view of a detail taken in cross-section in the plane of the line 13-13 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 14 is a view of a detail taken in cross-section in the plane of the line-ld -lof Fig. 9.

Referring now more in detail to the drawings and havingreference first to Figs. 1 to 3 thereof, the convertible furniture piece of the present invention utilizes a type of foldable table comprising two table panelszll and 22hinged together along a medial line e of the table, a pair of supporting legs 24 and 26 for one end of the table and a corresponding pair of table legs 28 and 30 for ithe other end of the table, said leg pairs being crossed about a common axis a, the legs of each pair being pivoted to eachother at the crossing axis a. The legs of each pair are pivoted at their upper ends to thetable panels,

one leg of each pair to one panel and the other leg of each pair tothe other panel, correspondingly positioned legs 24 and 28 being pivoted to the table panel 20 and the, other correspondingly positioned legs 26 and 30 being pivoted to the table panel 22, suitable pivoting brackets 32, 32 secured to the panels being used for this purpose.

'With this type of foldable table construction, upon in,-

folding of the table panels, the panels and legs. are movable from a fully set up condition shown in Fig; l, whereinthe, table panels are arranged in a horizontal and alined .planular position, to the collapsed condition shown in 'Fig. 3 of the drawings, wherein the two table panels are l in vertically face to face relation and the furniture piece is in a flat compacted condition.

In accordance with one of the objects of my present invention, this type of table is so designed and constructed that itmay be operated to assume an intermediate set up condition, as depicted, in Fig. 2,, wherein the table panels areafranged at an angle to'each other and preferablyat and the right angles so that the foldable table may serve as a book holding rack, as clearly depicted in Fig. 20f the drawings. This I accomplish by the provision of means, which is rendered effective as the parts of the furniture piece are moving from the collapsed to a fully set up condition, for determining the intermediate position that the parts are to assume and for fixing and supporting such parts in the'intermediate set up condition of the furniture piece. In addition, I provide a pivoted or hinged shelf panel for the bottom section of the table for cooperative table-serving use as well as for cooperative book or magazine use; and I prefer to embody the means for determining and fixing the intermediate set up position of the table parts in said shelf panel and its structural cooperation with the legs of the table.

' ,To accomplish these last stated objects, I provide at the lower section of the furniture piece a shelf panel 34 hingedly connected, in a manner best shown in Fig. 14, to oppositely or correspondingly positioned legs 26 and 30 of the table by means of a cross rod 36 bridging said legs, the said shelf panel being thereby movable between the vertical and collapsed position shown in Fig. 3 to the horizontal set up positions depicted in both Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the said shelf panel being supported in the horizontal positions by means such as the cross rod '38 attached to and bridging the other oppositely or correspondingly positioned legs 24 and 28. For determining and fixing the intermediate set up position of the furniture piece, I provide coacting parts on said shelf panel 34 and said legs and particularly the cross rod 38 which bridges the legs 24 and 28 for accomplishing this purpose and for 'doing so automatically as the furniture piece is moved or converted from its collapsed to its fully set up condition. This I accomplish by attaching to the underside of the shelf panel 34 at a side thereof remote from its hinge 36 'two spaced cam shaped members 40 and 42, best shown in Figs. 7 and 9 to 12, arranged to engage the cross rod 38 as the furniture piece is opened for stopping the parts to determine and fix the intermediate set up position thereof. As the furniture piece is opened the shelf 34,

normally held in a vertical position (with the furniture piece in collapsed condition) by means of a finger 44 fixed centrally to the cross rod 38 (see Fig. 8 of the drawings), is released from said finger and gravitates toward and to its horizontal position as best depicted in Fig. 7 of the drawings in which horizontal position the shelf 34 comes to rest by engaging the cross rod 38. Upon the continued opening movement of the furniture piece with the shelf panel 34 moving in the direction indicated by the arrow 46in Fig. 12, the cam shaped members 40 and 42 come into engagement with the cross rod 38, the cross rod nesting in the concave portions 48, 48 formed in said cam "shaped members, this being best depicted in Figs. 11 and 12 of the drawings. The nesting of the cross rod 38 in these concave portions of the cam members also provides a sufficient horizontal component of force for inhibiting further movement of the shelf 34 and for holding the parts securely against further movement so that the shelf panels and the legs of the furniture piece are stably held in the intermediate condition as best depicted in Figs. 2 and 6 of the drawings. In use as a bookrack, the weight of any books or magazines placed on the shelf 34 adds to the force resisting any further opening movement of the parts thereby increasing the stability and firmness of this intermediate position use of the furniture piece.

The furniture piece may be moved from this intermediate condition simply by exerting an impulsive force this position the table panels and legs of the furniture piece are in their fully open setup condition best shown in Figs. 1 and 5 of the drawings. It will be apparent also that the foldable table may be converted directly from its collapsed to its fully opened set up condition by an infolding operation of the table leaves 20 and 22, this operation being given an added impulse as the cross rod 38 meets the cam shaped members 40, 42 thereby being cammed to move beyond these members in the manner already described.

Asheretofore stated, a correlative object of invention is the provision of a foldable furniture piece of the type described in which a simplified and improved means is provided for securely supporting as well as looking the table panels in their horizontal planular position when the furniture piece is unfolded to its set up condition, such means being moreover so constructed as to permit the same to move automatically to the supporting and locking position as the furniture piece is manually unfolded. This I accomplished by providing .a slideable member 54, slideable on one of the table panels such ends 58 to said slideable member and at the other of its ends to 'at least one of the adjacent legs of the table, as at 60, the said member 56 being arranged to assume a substantially vertical position to produce a substantially vertical component of force upon said panel 20 in its open condition and when the slide member 54 is in its contracted position, this latter being best shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

In a preferred form, the slideable member 54, slideable in a hasp 62 secured underneath to the panel 20 (see particularly Fig. 4) is spring loaded by means of tension spring 64. The member 56 preferably comprises a yoke shaped member having a horizontal portion 66 and two verticallyarranged portions 68 and 70, the portion 66 being connected to the inner end of the slide member 54 and the portions 68 and 70 being supported in their ends to the legs 28 and 24 respectively as at the pivots 60.

The tension spring 64 is anchored at its opposite ends to said horizontal portion 66 and to a medially arranged flange 74 of the table panel 20. The slide member 54 is formed with a finger engaging flange portion 76 which is adapted to be manually engaged for moving the slide and the parts controlled thereby to the retracted position.

With this recited construction, it will be seen that as the furniture piece is moved from a contracted or collapsed condition (Fig. 6) through intermediate positions and lfinally to the fully open set up condition, the slide member 54 will be spring actuated from positions shown in 'is manually retracted by a pull exerted on the finger piece 76 thereof; when the parts are thus unlocked from the position shown in Fig. 5, continued folding of the table leaves through the positions shown in full and dotted lines in Fig. 6 is all that is necessary for moving the parts to their fully collapsed condition. With the table panels unfolded in the collapsed condition, the yoke member 56 assumes a position for holding the slideable member 54 in its spring biased retracted position.

The finger 44 secured to the cross rod 38 which, as

heretofore. des'eiibed, acts to hold the shelf 34* inlits eel;

lapsed condition (Figs. 3 and 8') also performs the function of moving the shelf 34, from its horizontal position to its vertical position, This is best depicted in Figs. 7 and 8 of the drawings. By reference to these figures, it will be seen that as, the parts of the furniture piece are moved "toward a collapsed condition, the finger 44 engages the underside ofthe shelf. panel 34 (Fig.7) and upon further collapsingmovement of thesparts the finger 44 moves the said shelf panel from its horizontal to its vertical position and finally serves to lhold the shelf 34 in its vertical position as shown in Fig 8 of the drawings.

' To assist in holding the parts in their collapsed condition I havefound it desirable to mount friction sleeves 78, 78, made for example of. rubber, on the extremities of certain of the legs such as the legs 24 and 28, where these extremities cross over each other in the collapsed condition of the table, thereby adding a. frictional resistance against accidental unfolding. Also as a detail, I prefer to strike out from thejmaterial of a panelsuch as 20 a stubor finger piece 50 arranged to engage a flange of the table panel 22 for the purpose of more accurately alining these panels in their horizontal condition.

The use and operation of the convertible furniture piece of the invention will, it is believed, he clearly apparentfrom the foregoing detailed description. The

furniture piece may be readily converted fromits fiat, contracted and'paeked or stored condition shownin Fig. 3 by the user simply grasping 'or taking hold of the table panels 20 and 22 and moving the same to an unfolded position. The first position is automatically reached in the opening operation and is held fixedly by the engagement of the cross rod 38 with the cam shaped members 40, 42. To move the assembly to its fully open position, shown in Fig. 1, an added; impulse or force ,is exerted in the unfolding of the table leaves 20 and 22 sufficient to permit the cross rod 38 to escape from the eam members 40, 42. When the parts assume the fully open condition, the yoke member 56 spring actuated by :the slide member 54 locks the parts in their fully open position. To disengage or unlock the assembly for re- ,turn movement either to the intermediate or the col- .lapsed condition, the operator merely has to pull the .slide member 54 to a retracted position and to fold the :table leaves to their folded condition;

It will be apparent that while I have shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, that many changes ean be made therein without departing from the spirit .of the invention defined in the following claims:

I claim:

1. A convertible furniture piece comprising, two table panels hinged together along a medial line of the table, pairs of supporting legs, one pair for each table end, said leg pairs being cross about a common axis, the legs -of each pair being pivoted to each other at the crossing ;axis, the legs of each pair being pivoted at their upper ends to the'table panel-s, one leg of each pair to one panel and the other leg of each pair to the other panel, whereby the panels and legs are movable from and to a collapsed condition wherein the two table panels are in vertically face to face relation, through an intermediate .position wherein the table panels are atan angle tov each other and to and from a set up condition wherein the table panels are in a horizontal alined and planular position, and means connected to the table legs for supporting the panels and legs fixedly in the intermediate position with the panels at an angle to each other, said means being connected to the table legs so as to be rendered eifective for supporting the panels and legs fixedly in said intermediate position upon movement of the table panels from their collapsed condition to their set up condition, said means being releasable to permit movement of the panels and legs from their intermediate position to their set up condition with the table in their horizontal alined and planular position.

2. A convertible furniture piece comprising, two table panels hinged together alonga medial line of the table, pairs of supporting legs, spacedly arranged withone pair for each table end, said leg pairs crossed aboutia common axis, he legs of each pair being pivoted to each other at the crossing axis, the legs of each pair being pivoted at their upper ends to the table panels, one leg of each pair to one panel and the other leg of each pair to the other panel, whereby the panels and legs are movable from and to a collapsed condition wherein the two table panels are in vertically face to face relation, through an intermediate position wherein the table panels are at an angle to each other and to and from a set up condition wherein the table panels are in a horizontal alined and planular position, and a shelf panel arranged below said crossing axis movably supported on said legs and movable between a collapsed vertical position, when the panels and legs are in their collapsed condition, and a horizontal shelf'position when the panels and legs are in either their intermediate position or their set up condition.

3. The convertible furniture piece of claim 2. in which the. shelf panel is movably supported on said legs by .being hinged to corresponding legs of said spaced leg pairs and being supported in the horizontal position by means attached to the other corresponding legs of said spaced leg pairs. 7

J 4. A convertible furniture piece comprising, two table panels hinged together along a medial line of the table, pairs of supporting legs, spacedly arranged with one pair for each table end, said leg pairs being crossed about a common axis, the legs of each pair being pivoted to each other at the crossing axis, the legs of each pair being pivoted at their upper ends to the table panels, one leg of each pair to one panel and the other leg of each pair to the other panel, whereby the panels and legs are movable from and to a collapsed condition'wherein the two table panels are in vertically face to face relation, through an intermediate position wherein the table panels are at an angle to each other and to and from a set up condition wherein the table panels are in a horizontal alined and planular position, a shelf panel arranged below said crossing axis, movable between a vertical collapsed position and a horizontal shelf position, hingedly supported on corresponding legs of said spaced leg pairs, means on the other correspondinglegs of said spaced leg pairs for supporting said shelf in its horizontal shelf position, said shelf in its horizontal position serving as a shelf for both the intermediate and set up positions of said legs and panels, and coacting parts on said shelf and said legs for determining the intermediate position of said legs and panels.

5. A convertible furniture piece comprising, two table panels hinged together along a medial line of the table, pairs of supporting legs, spacedly arranged with one pair for each table end, said leg pairs being crossed about a common axis, the legs of each pair being pivoted to each other at the crossing axis, the legs of each pair being pivoted at their upper ends to the table panels, one leg of each pair to one panel and the other leg of each pair to the other panel, whereby the panels and legs are movable from and to a collapsed condition wherein the two table panels are in vertically face to face relation, through an intermediate position wherein the table panels are at an angle to each other and to and from a set up condition wherein the table panels are in a horizontal alined and planular position, a shelf panel arranged below said crossing axis, movable between a vertical collapsed position and a horizontal shelf position, hingedly supported on corresponding legs of said' spaced leg pairs, a cross rod bridging the other corresponding legs of said spaced leg pairs and forming a support for the shelf panel in its horizontal position,

, panels hinged together along a medial line of the table,

pairs of supporting legs, one pair for each table end, said leg pairs being crossed about a common axis, the legs of each pair being pivoted to each other at the crossing .axis, the legs of each pair being pivoted at their upper ends to the-table panels, one leg of each pair to one panel and the other leg of each pair to the other panel,

whereby the panels and legs are movablesfrom and to a collapsed condition wherein the two table panels are in vertically face to face relation and to and from a set up condition wherein the table panels are in a horizontal .alined and planular position, and means for supporting and locking the panels in their open position comprising a member slideable in one of said panels between locking and unlocking positions, and a member pivoted at its opposite ends to said slidable member and to one of said legs and arranged to assume a position producing a major vertical component of force when the slide member is in its locking position.

8. The convertible furniture piece of claim 7, in which '8 the slideable member is spring biased to its locking posi: tion and is manually accessible for movement to uh;- locking position. f 9. The convertible furniture piece of claim 7, in which the means for supporting and locking the panels in their open position comprises a spring biased member slideable on one said panel between a locking position contracted towards the medial line of the table and unlocking position retracted away from the medial line of the table, and a member pivoted at its opposite ends to said slideable member and to one of the said legs and arranged to assume a substantially vertical position to produce a substantially vertical component of force on said open panel when the slide member is in its locking position.

10. The convertible furniture piece of claim 9, in which the table panels are hinged so as to be foldable into and .between the legs when moved to collapsed condition and in which in the collapsed condition the member connected to the slideable member is in a position to hold said slideable member in its spring biased retracted position. 7

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 289,464 Stetson Dec. 4, 1883 606,845 Simmons July 5, 1898 939,963 Anderson Nov. 16, 1909 1,369,662 Horner Feb. 22, 1921 2,802,578 Barile Aug. 13, 1957 2,844,247 Friedman July 22, 1958 

